SCHOOL COMMITTEES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 140, 10 December 1929, Page 9

SCHOOL COMMITTEES

CAPITATION GRANT

ASSOCIATION'S DECISION"

Although there were not nearly so many delegates at last night's meeting of the School Committees' Association as at the previous gathering of that body, some two dozen attended, and reports of .the various committees' decisions in the matter of capitation were received by the chairman. Mr. L. HenInessy. •

"As nearly as I cau judge," said Mr. Hennessy, "there are four different committees that, without- ' further assistance, are resigning on 28th February. 'The rest seom .to prefer to i carry on to the householders' meetings. | Personally, I rather regret that .we have not a combined effort, but I suppose it is almost inevitable that, there must be some divergence of opinion." His committee (Te Aro) would carry on as a Parents' Association. Commissioners would be paying the cleaners and finding the fuel and mending the broken windows. The committee might be there to criticise. He hoped it would. He believed that as parents' associations the board would give them the use of the school for their meetings, and they would get subsidies on funds raised for such things as pianos, etc. The- chairman recommended to those resigning from 28th February to carry on as parents' associations.

Mr. Parlane said he thought that action should be uniform. He favoured the committees remaining in. office until the householders' meetings, and that they should recommend then, that no committees be elected. He moved in .that direction, and his motion was seconded by Mr. Sadd. Mr. E. G. Hustwick (Island Bay) said that if they went out of office in April or May, no association would exist, and they must keep that in mind. The main object should be to have some organisation if they were to keep the capitation agitation going, so that committees would have sufficient finance to carry on in a decent manner. Another delegate said he would consider it his duty to offer himself for re-election, because the matter was one in which children primarily should be considered. •

Mr. N. A. Ingram (secretary) said that subsidies had to be paid to school committees, and could not be paid to home and school associations.. In-Ms opinion the motion, was wrong and illadvised, until they were sure of the solidarity of .the association. Only; 15 replies had been received on-the capitation question from 46 committees^ The speaker's remarks were endorsed by Mr. C. H. Nicholls.

Mr. Armstrong said that Mr. Semple had said at the Seatoun meeting that he would organise action in the House if nothing was decided before then. Mr. Sadd (Brooklyn) said he did not think the Minister was coming out into the daylight with something he had got up his sleeve. • ." " .

Mr.. Jorgenson (Kilbirnie) thought they were very divided amongst themselves, and that a resolution passed by them would have very slight effect on committees generally throughout the country.

After fnrther discussion, the final resolution carried was: "That this association recommends committees to remain, in office until the date of the householders' meetings."